Giving Comfort to Hurting People

People need to feel loved. A hurting child needs to feel his father’s arms around him. When the father is away, he may leave written words of love, as God has in his Word. But he may also call on the child’s older brothers and sisters to express his love to his child.

To ignore someone’s pain is to add to that pain. Instead of fearing we’ll say the wrong thing, we should reach out to hurting people. Many times it’s better just to put our arms around someone and cry with them; people almost ...

The Hands of God

When we lock our eyes on our cancer, arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, or disability, self-pity and bitterness can creep in. When we spend our days rehearsing the tragic death of a loved one, we will interpret all life through the darkness of our suffering. How much better when we focus upon Jesus!

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus... who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” The following verse commands us, “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2–3).

However great our suffering ...

Dismiss Hell and You Dismiss Jesus

My blog posts on the Haiti earthquake have generated some great comments, both on the blog and on my Facebook site. I've read them all and benefited, so thanks to many of you.

One comment, however, took things in a different direction, raising the subject of Hell. (This wasn’t the issue in the Haiti discussion, but I want to address it now as a new subject.) Someone wrote to the commenters who were discussing God’s judgment of people:

You seem to be missing the big point here—the complete absurdity that God hurts people for any reason ...

The Haiti Earthquake: Was Pat Robertson right?

Before I get to today's blog, those who read my previous post on my friend Jim Harrell going home to Jesus may wish to listen to a 3-minute audio clip of me sharing about the work God did through Jim and his suffering.

Like many of you, I'm praying for those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Heartbreaking.

It's been well publicized that Pat Robertson claimed the earthquake is God's judgment on Haiti for past sin, including making a pact with the devil.
Yesterday I was on the radio talking about the subject of evil and ...

Jim Harrell Goes to Jesus

My heart is broken by what’s happened in Haiti. There are many good Christian relief ministries worthy of supporting. (Check out the Eternal Perspective Ministries website for some links.) We live in a world devastated by the fall and the curse, a world in which precious loved ones die. This blog is about the life and death of such a man.

I came to know my friend Jim Harrell after Jim read my book Heaven. (That's me on the left, then Jim, then his good friend Vince, when I visited the Harrell home in Wheaton, Illinois, less than ...

Does God have emotions?

The Eternal Perspective Ministries staff asked me to include this in the beginning of today's blog:

Need help choosing books and audio books as Christmas presents? Beginning Friday, December 4, you can call our new toll-free number 1-877-376-4567 and talk to EPM staff who can walk you through the many titles we have available. (Customer service available Monday—Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to noon PST.)

Now to my blog:

Some time ago theologians formulated the doctrine of God’s impassibility. They argued that God was “without passions ...

Visiting America's Wounded Warriors

Todd DuBord, my friend and Chuck Norris’s chaplain, linked me to Chuck’s column to let me know he’d referred to If God is Good. I want to convey part of Chuck’s touching story below, then if you wish you can read the whole column here.

… a couple days later we went out to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston to visit with America's wounded warriors. How can one put into words the pride one feels around these brave men and women? Despite the loss of limbs or suffering from some other sacrifice in ...

Thanksgiving in the Midst of Tragedy

Since November 11 is Veteran’s Day, I want to start this blog by acknowledging the men and women who have served to protect and defend our country. My heart especially goes out to those who lost loved ones in the Fort Hood shooting on November 5 [2009].

In a TV interview last week about the tragedy, one chaplain asked, “Where is God in all of this?” While it’s not always easy to trust God in suffering, it’s always possible.

On September 11, 2001, Lisa Beamer’s husband, Todd, died on United Airlines Flight 93. Lisa says, “I ...

If God Is Good Q&A Video

If you missed today's Livestream video—which was a Q&A on my book If God Is Good—check out the embedded video in this blog. I enjoyed sharing a little about the book as well as answering the great, thought-provoking questions that viewers had.

(Click here to go to the Livestream video channel if you're unable to see the embedded video.)



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Meet Minnie Broas, from If God is Good

Before I get to today's blog, I wanted to mention that next Thursday I'll be participating in a Livestream video Q&A session about If God is Good. I'm looking forward to hearing from you and answering your questions live. Please join me on October 15, 11 a.m. PST at www.livestream.com/WaterBrookMultnomah. It should be a fun time, and it would be great to have you participate, or let your friends know about it.

Minnie Broas, whose story was included in my book If God Is Good, would tell you today with absolute clarity ...